- Freshman Guard Eligible
- Braswell To Play In Belgium
- Post Column on Mourning
- Orlando, Ewing Part Ways
- NCAA Revisits Eligibility Standards
- Profile: Patrick Ewing, Jr.
- Sweetney Named To All American Lists
- Hoyas Traded In NBA
- GU Alumnus Sponsors Basketball Fundraiser
- NBA: Reid Traded
| Freshman Guard Eligible | 8/30/02 |
Freshman guard Ashanti Cook will play for Georgetown this fall, according to ESPN.com and campus reports.
Cook, who originally signed with New Mexico prior to a coaching change, could be required to sit a year as a penalty. Andy Katz's daily column at ESPN.com (updated daily and not archived) for Tuesday read, in part, "The NLI hasn't forced any player who switched schools this spring or summer to sit out the one-year penalty for breaking the NLI if they get cooperation from the school that originally signed them.... PG Ashanti Cook is eligible at Georgetown, after signing with New Mexico."
Cook's eligibility was confirmed by Georgetown Thursday. Further information follows in links to The HOYA and the Georgetown Voice.
In the Voice article, Coach Esherick also discussed senior Victor Samnick, who is still working on injuries suffered last season.
"He's not working out in the same way or as long as the other players," said Esherick. "He swims a lot for conditioning. Victor is very interested in staying in top physical condition, and he'll hit the ground running as soon as he's given complete medical clearance."
| Braswell To Play In Belgium | 8/25/02 |
2002 grad Kevin Braswell has signed a contract to play in Belgium, according to this link to Court-Side.com. Another local product, American University's Patrick Doctor, is also among the U.S. players in the Belgian league.
| Post Column On Mourning | 8/23/02 |
"To have my health? I'd trade this fame for that. I know I could develop a career. I've got a good head on my shoulders. I'm educated. Riches make life easier, allow me to travel and do things I enjoy doing. But no way are those things more important than your health."
These words from Alonzo Mourning (C'92) are part of a column in Saturday's Washington Post discussing his ongoing kidney illness in the midst of an NBA career. Recommended reading.
| Ewing Ends Contract With Orlando | 8/16/02 |
Patrick Ewing has agreed to a buyout of his two year contract with the Orlando Magic, according to the Orlando Sentinel. It is not clear whether Ewing will pursue an 18th season in the NBA this fall.
"I told him if he wants me to get him a job when training camp starts in October, I need more than a couple of days' notice," said agent David Falk. "I think he's got to decide physically what his body can do."
Ewing has been approached by the Washington Wizards for an assistant coaching role, according to the Washington Post.
| NCAA Revisits Eligibility Standards | 8/12/02 |
A decade ago, Georgetown University was in the forefront of a national debate on the emphasis on standardized tests to determine the eligibility of recruits. It now appears that the NCAA will revisit the issue, according to the Washington Post.
At issue is the concept of minimum SAT scores for college eligibility. Former coach John Thompson has long criticized the emphasis of standardized tests in the process, and the NCAA is considering a change which will increase the number of core courses and lessen the weight of tests as a means of predicting academic performance.
"The NCAA is finally prepared to act upon information they had available to them as early as 1984 but chose to ignore, and the information of the past 20 years they've gathered reaffirmed what they knew all along," said Georgetown athletic director emeritus Frank Rienzo.
| Profile: Patrick Ewing, Jr. | 8/12/02 |
The Washington Post sports section has a front page profile of high school senior Patrick Ewing, Jr., who will be playing high school basketball in the Washington area this fall.
"The expectations from other people are always going to be there, but I'll just keep on being me," he told the Post. "I know I'll have made a name for myself when people come up to me and ask, 'Isn't Patrick Ewing your dad?'"
| Sweetney Named To All American Lists | 8/8/02 |
Forward Mike Sweetney has been named to Dick Vitale's pre-season All-America team, the first of what should be a lengthy list of pre-season honors. Here's a link to ESPN.com with the details.
Sweetney was also named one of 50 finalists for the 2003 John Wooden Award, according to ESPN.
| NBA: Hoyas On The Move | 8/6/02 |
From the NBA, some items of interest:
| GU Alumnus Sponsors Basketball Fundraiser | 8/5/02 |
Former coach John Thompson has been named organizing chairman of a basketball fundraiser hosted by Georgetown Hall of Famer Derrick Jackson (C'78).
The event will feature competitors from 4th grade through college at events in Carol Stream and DeKalb, IL. Proceeds from the Carol Stream event benefit low income families in DuPage County with back to school supplies. The DeKalb tournament will benefit Newspapers in Education, a national literacy program.
For more information on the event or to offer your support as a sponsor, visit www.derrickjackson.com.
| NBA: Reid Traded | 8/2/02 |
The Orlando Magic have traded Don Reid (C'95) to the Denver Nuggets for an exchange of first and second round draft picks.
"He is professional, works hard and is a positive influence," said Denver general manager Kiki Vandeweghe in the Denver Post. "We're happy to have him, and we'll take a look at him."
"He's disappointed because he really enjoyed Orlando," Reid's agent told the Orlando Sentinel. "But when the dust clears, it may be a better situation for him."
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